


When the Daylight Comes (I'll Have to Go)

by RaeValentine



Series: Keeping Up With The Kaibas [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Atem wants his bf to be ok again, Blindshipping, Body Worship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Neck Kissing, Nightmares, Polyamory, Prideshipping, Scratching, Seto is a sad darling, Songfic, Yugi is still a cheeky lil shit, flareshipping, rivalshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 02:12:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11979912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeValentine/pseuds/RaeValentine
Summary: Nightmares have plagued Seto Kaiba for far too long. He's tired, soverytired.Atem and Yugi attempt to take his mind off the horrors that play behind closed eyes, like a film reel that has no end.Even if it's only for one night, he'll take what he can get.[Written for a dear friend's birthday.]





	When the Daylight Comes (I'll Have to Go)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Painted_Scars27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Painted_Scars27/gifts), [SpadesDame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpadesDame/gifts).



> Hello, hello! If you are expecting updates to ITILH, the Twilight Yoi Au, and Duel Squad, those will have to wait, I'm afraid. I spent roughly a week writing this (read: spamming the entire fic as i was writing it in our group chat) and I decided, what better way to kick off a new series, than to add to a previous work?
> 
> If you haven't read [AWIAN](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9643037/chapters/21785270) yet, please do! It's not really required reading before reading this fic, but I do reference it quite a bit.
> 
> Song this fic is based on: [Daylight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1q9ojtZqiI) by Maroon 5.
> 
> I'm also dedicating this fic to Anna and Britt, who were the inspiration behind the scenes! Thanks for putting up with me spamming ya'll with tidbits the whole way through writing this, and for encouraging me to start something new.
> 
> And for Kat, my squish and dearest friend, who I would not be here today without. To the lovely and sweetest lady ever: thank you for everything you've done for me over the last five years. Love you lots. <3

_Facing down grotesque monsters was practically within his job description, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight across the arena. The accursed Millennium Ring had fused itself to the boy's essence, tainting it beyond all recognition. All of his previous bluster had gone, leaving only the monstrous shell behind._

_Respect blossomed, grudgingly at first, then with renewed fervor for his dueling partner, who he finally realized could hold his own without the aid of the Pharaoh, who had left this world for his own paradise before he could even think to say goodbye. The scars were still fresh months later, and his goal was always in the back of his mind; even now, facing down the embodiment of everything evil in this world, it kept him going when nothing else could._

_Deep-Eyes Dragon had been destroyed by the spherical behemoth, and with Yugi's Dark Magician out of the picture - courtesy of their own unfinished duel - he wondered what the shrimp had up his sleeve, if anything good. Perhaps he shouldn't have destroyed Gandora X, but Yugi would be a worthless duelist if he relied solely on his most powerful creatures to achieve victory. If nothing else, the one thing that would always unite them was a common goal to postpone their eternal rivalry. He should start charging for saving humanity - he made a note of that for next time._

_Pandemic Dragon soon joins the field, drawing upon the strength of his spirit to fulfill the conditions of summoning. All around them, chaos reigned; the heavens opened up, and people dissolved into nothing, but his ears were filled with a muted buzz he couldn't shake. Perhaps his technology was faulty - no, that possibility was immediately dismissed. It was flawless, just like everything else that left his hands - pristine, perfect, and complete._

_Yugi manages to summon two more monsters, the metallic gadgets glinting in the filthy light from the enormous cube that filled the sky above the arena with its noxious crimson beams. Yugi sets two cards facedown, and the thing that used to be a boy makes its move._

_Crimson Nova attacks, but Yugi is one step ahead. Soon his two gadgets combine with Metalhold, becoming a single entity, and the attack that would have felled the singular Crimson Nova causes two more to appear on the opposite side of the field._

_Pandemic Dragon falls, and there is nothing in his hand or on his field that can prevent it. Even its effect is negated. With his failure, Metalhold is destroyed by the final Nova, and the possibility of defeat begins to set in. If it were not for Yugi's quick thinking and activation of Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light, he would have lost everything then._

_Three separate Crimson Novas become a singular fusion monster, and not for the first time, he wonders if teamwork is truly the answer to victory. Yugi had proven time and again that it was, and now that he had finally reached the point where he could acknowledge it to be true, everything was going up in flames. The Heart of the Cards seemed so useless in the face of the devil._

_With no other option left, he activates the one card that can save everything. Krystal Avatar's effect summons it as a token with as many ATK points as he has Life Points. With that final act of defiance, the Nova Trinity's attack is redirected, and his own counter falls to zero. At least he can take solace in driving a knife into the monster's Life Points on his way down._

_He succumbs to defeat, falling to his knees, and not for the last time, he spares a thought for the man who could have - should have - saved them all. All he had to do was show his face, one last time, and the world would be saved. But no, he thinks, a touch of bitterness lacing his thoughts, Atem couldn't even do that much._

_His vision is filled with sparkling gold dust, his limbs grow cold, and his vision becomes a hazy blur. The only thing he can think to do is give Yugi back the Millennium Puzzle, the vessel for the Pharaoh's soul he worked day and night to recover. A sense of regret fills him as it leaves his hands, but it's rapidly replaced with a cold so intense, it renders him speechless. Yugi's blue-violet eyes soften, but there's no time to decipher emotion._

_There is only time to disappear into the aether. His final thought is that maybe now he could join Atem in the Afterlife, if only to see his face one last time. To look him in the eye as an equal. At last, he could finally fulfill his dearest wish._

_The image fractures, shattering into tinkling crystal fragments and then he ceases to exist._

***

Nightmares had been troubling Seto Kaiba for too many years not to be used to them by now, but that still didn't stop him from waking up with his heart pounding erratically and a cold sheen of sweat lacing his body.

He had to be very careful not to wake either man occupying his bed; Yugi's tussled plum curls were just visible in the wash of moonlight spilling beneath the balcony curtains. His left arm was currently occupied by a cascade of mahogany coils and miles of sun kissed skin. Atem especially should not be woken, as he was a light sleeper. (Only in the sense that a hurricane could pass through the room and he wouldn't bat an eyelash, but _Obelisk forbid_ any number of small noises occur within hearing range.)

Seto willed his breathing back to a more moderated level, but his heart refused to cooperate. If he was any louder (deep breaths, it wasn't real, you're _fine_ ), the lion was sure to wake, and that's _not_ a conversation he wanted to have right now.

With the ease of someone who has gone through the motions several times, he carefully extracts his arm from Atem's warm embrace. The lion stirred, and the CEO willed his lover back into the dark folds of sleep. He only relaxed once Atem had settled back into the soft down pillow once more, Yugi snuggling against his back, fast asleep and dreaming. He fervently hoped it was a good dream this time - at least _someone_ would be having them. 

Raising himself into a sitting position, he curled up into a tight ball, shoulders hunched and arms wrapped around his legs. Resting his chin on his knees, he sighed, a huff of breath in an otherwise silent space. _Why_ was he having these outlandish dreams? Some of them had even happened, much to his chagrin.

The AI: When he couldn't have the real thing, he'd constructed a version of Atem purely from his memory with the help of his new Solid Vision technology and a little bit of imagination. It had been a pet project, something to keep him going in the long hours spent millions of miles above the Earth's surface. (His hair had been the _worst_ , and he now had a newfound appreciation for Yugi's dedication to his signature hairstyle.) As the vessel for the pharaoh's spirit, he'd had to make some changes here and there, mostly aesthetic. (The armbands were a nice touch.) All in all, it was one of his best inventions to date. (He shuddered to think how Yugi would react if he ever found out. He idly wondered what Atem would think, but he shut that thought down quickly. He could barely hold himself together with _one_ Egyptian in the room.)

The Space Station: It was only half finished; its sole purpose had been to aid in Atem's return, but since that had _somehow_ been taken care of, he'd simply shelved the other half and used it as a sort of get away from Kaiba Corp. and the constant stress it provided. (The view was also spectacular, and if he had countless simulated duels with the AI Atem, who was going to tell him off? No one.)

He wasn't Isis; he didn't rely on a Millennium Item to give him magical visions of the so-called future, and he had no need to delve into the ancient past. Turning his head slightly, Seto spotted the Millennium Puzzle out of his peripheral, complete and resplendent, sitting innocently on the opposite bedside table. He'd returned the object back to its rightful owners, but now he couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow connected to his nightmares.

Whatever the cause was, he would get to the bottom of it sooner or later. For now, he committed the ridiculous dream to memory and shoved all emotions associated with the terror of dissolving into nonexistence into the Box of Emotions and slammed the lid shut.

\---

Two hours before he was scheduled to leave for his flight to London, Atem awoke to find him curled up in a ball against his pillows, blankets pooled around his waist to expose his nude torso to the chilly night air and glaring daggers at the opposite wall. (It was still Summer, but the Kaiba mansion was always well air-conditioned, especially the master bedroom where they all slept.)

"Blue eyes?" Atem murmurs, his baritone voice thick with sleep. "What are you doing awake?"

Seto blinks, long and slow, coming back to the present from whatever thoughts plagued him in his sleep-deprived state. 

"Waiting."

Atem cautiously reaches out to his lover, running the tips of his fingers along the skin within immediate reach. His arm warms slightly under the gentle touch, and he manages to snap back to the present, turning to find a drowsy pharaoh rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his free hand.

"What for? It's -" he pauses, straining to see the alarm clock over Seto's broad shoulders "Seto, it's after four in the morning."

"I know. I'll have to leave soon."

The simple statement gives him pause. In just two hours, he'll have to leave both of his lovers behind to go traipsing around Great Britain, all in the name of business. The thought alone is suddenly too much to bear, and he curls his considerable frame even tighter, head bowed. Coiled tighter than a drawn bowstring, he relives his nightmare in precise detail and clarity behind closed eyes.

(Why am I.. holding on?)

Perhaps Atem sensed his distress; the mattress shifted with his weight as he curled his frame to fit awkwardly around the planes and scarred angles of Seto's body. The lion's natural warmth seeped into his chilled skin, and he took comfort in the familiar scent - musk and some sort of spice - that draped like a fragrant cloak around the man who once ruled all of Upper and Lower Khemet. 

Lifting his weary head, Seto found a pair of half-lidded wine red eyes gazing at him with such concern, it made his stomach flip uncomfortably. It took him a few minutes to gather enough resolve to reach out a tentative hand and brush his knuckles down the sculpted cheek now resting against his bare shoulder. Atem's eyes shut as he leaned into the tender touch. 

"We knew this day would come," he murmured, opening his eyes and reaching out to cup Seto's cheek, the smooth pads of his fingers whispering sweet words to his soul. "We knew it all along," Atem continued, removing his arm from the broad shoulders to join both hands in cupping his lover's face, thumbs tracing twin paths from temple to jawline.

(How did it.. come so fast?)

"I know it's our last night, and it's late, but.." Seto trails off, swallowing down emotions he knew would do him no good to explore rationally in his present state. "I'm trying not to sleep."

Yugi stirs, trying to find a better grip on whatever part of Atem he can get, eventually grasping a naked thigh. When he settles down, blissfully unaware of the mini crisis taking place just inches away, Seto lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"You need your rest, blue eyes. Come."

The soft command catches his attention, and the kiss that follows seals his obedience. Atem slowly and carefully guides his boyfriend back down into the soft sheets (Egyptian cotton, 800 thread count, but he doesn't need to know that), peppering feather light kisses to pliant, willing lips. Seto has no fight in him tonight, but he responds to the gesture with teasing nips of his teeth and loving squeezes to vulnerable flesh.

He only stops when Atem is stretched out beneath him, carding fingers through sleep mussed chestnut strands, and Yugi stirs once more beside them, mumbling in his sleep. With their hips aligned, Atem's knee gently rubbing at the sensitive spot between his thighs, one of them was bound to make noise eventually.

"If you guys're gonna fuck, please take it t'the couch. Tryin' to sleep."

Yugi's irritated mumble punctuates the silence, freezing both men in place instantly. His lips left Atem's with a soft pop, turning to find a pair of dull violet eyes narrowed their way. 

"My apologies, dearest." Atem smiles sheepishly, pulling farther away and back into the comfort of the sheets.

It was _much_ too far for his liking. An intense need to bury himself in the lion's embrace took hold, and a low, needy rumble left his throat. Hands curling into fists on either side of Atem's cascade of curls, clutching the sheets for dear life, Seto bowed his head, shaking with the effort of trying to keep himself afloat. 

A pointed nudge to his side caused his head to snap up, finding Yugi's cherubic face just centimeters away. 

"What's wrong, dragon?" Yugi punctuates the question with a yawn, flopping onto Atem's side with unnecessary dramatics.

" _You should get back to sleep, mery-i_ ," Atem murmurs in hieratic, letting out an exasperated huff; one would think he was used to his other half's ridiculous shenanigans by now. Sliding one arm around Yugi's narrow waist, he gave it a squeeze, delighting in the amused grumble his action elicited. He'd come to realize the difference in language, and whenever his lover slipped into the ancient dialect of his youth, Seto was always fascinated at how much of it he understood.

"Nope, sorry. You have to deal with me now," Yugi quips, lips curving up into a drowsy smile as he settles against Atem's side, naked and content as usual.

Seto inhales, taking a deep breath of chilled air into parched lungs. When words refuse to leave his lips, he decides that actions are better suited for the situation.

(Cause I know... when I wake.. I will have to slip away..)

He claims the hollow at the base of Atem's throat as his own, nuzzling into the space and running his teeth over raised collarbones. He has to remind himself not to bite down too harshly; as much as it would thrill him to mark the lion as his own, he had to consider Atem's feelings, too. Everything in him was _screaming_ not to let go, to hold on for all he was worth.

Atem hissed, head thrown back against the pillow, fingers threading their way through sleek brunette locks to squeeze the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. An icy haze clutches at his heart, and out of his peripheral, he notes the slight widening of Yugi's eyes. He'd been content to get his nightly dose of cuddle time, but now it was apparent he was interested in a bit _more_.

With deliberate slowness, Yugi raised himself up on one elbow, leaning across Atem's arm to press his forehead to Seto's. Batting those thick glossy lashes his way, a flash of tiny white teeth could be seen in the near darkness.

"On second thought, I changed my mind. We can fuck here."

Brows furrowing, he finally released his hold on Atem's skin to lave a slick path up to one of the lion's well-known ticklish spots, relishing in the quiet whine that left his throat. 

" _We_?" Seto manages to finally speak, reluctantly leaving the dark expanse of skin to spear Yugi with an icy glare, devoid of its usual ire.

"Well, yeah." The pout was clearly audible in his voice, though he nearly missed the rest of the sentence when Atem's knee moved back to caressing the rising stiffness between his legs. "Because if you two start going at it without me, I could get _lonely_."

Yugi began to swipe the gilded curls from Atem's brow, grabbing the hand not entwined in Seto's hair and coaxing it down beneath the sheets with the other. He must have gotten permission through their weird telepathy link, because Atem let him continue with whatever motions were happening beneath the sheets. Yugi nibbled on his bottom lip, a soft exhale dropping to a quiet moan.

Swallowing thickly at the image presented to him, Seto regarded the man beneath him, noting the subtle darkening of the arches of his cheeks, half-lidded eyes, and quick, soft breaths that caused his golden fringe to flutter about his face. 

"Do you.. do you want.." Seto scowled, cursed in hieratic under his breath, tried again. "When the daylight comes, I'll have to go. For a week."

(But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close)

His fingers still clutched the sheets beneath them, and if Atem wasn't in the mood, there was always Yugi, who was still using his Other's hand to get himself off. Either way, he needed to feel _something_ other than the icy substance crystallizing in his veins; the lack of feeling, of _nothing_ that permeated his most recent nightmare was asphyxiating, and he could no longer handle the panic that clawed its way up his throat to rasp with dry fingers against his tongue.

" _Seto_." His given name dripped from Atem's lips like the sweetest honey, and if he hadn't been aroused before then, the sight of his lover so clearly _wanting_ would have done the trick. "Yes, I do." The fingers still threaded through his hair gently coaxed him down until all he could see was burgundy and gold. "Right now, I'd like nothing more."

"He's not the only one, either," Yugi muttered, shifting position to entwine his fingers in the empty space between Seto's, who relaxed his death grip on the sheets enough to let him. "Whatever happens, we're here." His voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but there's such _conviction_ in the simple statement, it takes the dragon a moment to pull himself from the depths of Atem's gaze to comprehend the truth of his words.

"And we will _never_ leave you," Atem murmurs, picking up on his partner's train of thought with ease. 

Seto shakes his head, arms shaking with the effort of supporting his considerable frame. "You'll be on your own come daylight." He grits his teeth, lips curling into a scowl as he maintains the position a moment longer before succumbing to the combined ministrations of both men, burying his nose in the curve of Atem's shoulder. 

(But tonight I need to hold you so close)

"We'll be all right, blue eyes." Atem's hands slide from his hair to rest on the broad, scarred back, tracing the slight indentations in the flesh with tender strokes, worshiping as they journey further south. 

"You worry _far_ too much for any one man," Yugi admonishes, giving his hand a squeeze before bringing it to brush pillow soft lips to each knuckle.

A derisive snort escapes before he can stop it, and Yugi wrinkles his nose and shudders, squirming under Atem's renewed upward strokes. 

"Okay, okay! I'm good, you can - ohhh _gods_."

Watching Yugi come alive under the lion's touch was making his own arousal twitch with want. He renewed his attack on Atem's exposed collarbones, nipping a trail across and down, dipping his tongue into the hollow where the bones met.

"Hn, _Seto_ ," Atem keened softly, arching up into his touch. "Are you sure?" Distracted, his hand moved away from beneath the sheets, and the CEO caught the tip of a spiked curl as it kissed his cheek, Yugi shifting position again to nuzzle against his arm, seeking physical contact.

_Visions of gold danced behind his eyes: tiny motes of light twinkling in the darkness as his essence dissolved into the black aether of the void, a solid pillar of auric light descending from the heavens to crash to earth, bearing the Pharaoh's spirit to once more grace this plane of life, a tall man draped in the ivory and golden jewelry of the ancient past twirling a staff as long as he was tall and thrusting it forward to strike at the enemy with a defiant spear-like blast that impaled it in a bright shaft of gilded light._

"Yes," Seto murmured, dragging his teeth once more along the planes and angles of Atem's upper body. "Make me forget. I don't want to remember _any_ of it." The confession surprised him; normally, he kept his innermost thoughts secret, always unsure of how they would be received.

"We can do that," Yugi whispers, breath spilling over muscle and sinew as he kisses a line up the inside of his arm, following the faint trace of blue veins beneath the surface of the skin. "Right, doll?"

Atem nods, capturing Seto's face in his hands once more, bringing it back up to eye level. "Whatever you saw was _not_ real," he says, voice laced with a certainty the CEO could appreciate. "Nothing will harm you here, of that I can promise you."

He blinks, sleep-shadowed sapphire gazing down into warm, muted crimson.

(Here I am staring at your perfection)

He was nothing short of stunning, Seto thought, taking note of his flushed cheeks, wide eyes, and the leg hiked up to supply a steady stream of delicious friction between his own. Yugi had reached the round muscle of his shoulder and paused, taking in the ropy scar that wrapped around the dragon's neck, stretched taut and hideous. He seemed to be contemplating whether or not he should continue, bright violet eyes flickering upward to gauge his boyfriend's mood.

The only time either of them were allowed near his scars was during their intimate moments, where he didn't mind so much that they could be seen and touched, as his mind was usually occupied with other things. 

"Don't promise me that," Seto nearly begs, desperate now to dispel the haunting pictures behind his eyes. "Promise me _this_." He sits up on his heels, pressing a calloused hand - toughened from countless duels and tinkering with machines bigger than he was tall - to the space where Atem's heart beat a steady rhythm in his chest. He turns to Yugi, placing a single finger over the same spot, the faint thrill of his pulse discernible beneath the skin.

Atem sighs, propping himself up on one elbow to thread their fingers together, lining up the empty spaces and squeezing tightly. "Always," he promises, the echoes of previous conversations playing through the brunet's mind.

" _Hm, okay. Stay with me_?"

" _Always._ "

" _Do you trust me_?"

" _With my life._ "

Taking a deep breath, Seto nods, bringing the finger still hovering over Yugi's chest to brush a stray golden curl behind his ear. The tender motion brings a soft smile to his face, and he scoots in closer to wrap his arms around the scarred neck, pressing their foreheads together and nearly blocking the view of Atem lying beneath him.

"We were meant to be yours, dragon." Yugi punctuates the statement with a chaste press of lips to his own, and the frost around his heart begins to melt, sloughing off and dripping away in tandem with the beat of his pulse singing through his veins.

A noise of affirmation left his throat, his mouth currently occupied by the tiny whirlwind clinging to his neck. Gradually, he relaxed the stiff set of his shoulders, snaking one arm beneath Yugi's pale thighs and tugging him flush against his chest; the other released Atem's grip on his fingers to snag the fine plum curls at the base of his neck in a gentle grip, tilting his head back for better leverage.

(In my arms, so beautiful)

Due to their height difference, he had to keep a firm grip on the noodle's thighs to keep him from falling back onto Atem, who took the opportunity to sit up and reach over to the bedside table drawer, presumably to grab the lube and condoms. (They didn't have sex but once a week if they were lucky, but no one wanted to get up and go hunting for the stuff when their time could better be spent on foreplay.)

The lion soon returned, having found what he was looking for and setting them aside within reach, but Seto was mainly focused on swapping spit with the man in his lap. Yugi wasn't complaining, not that he ever would when he was about to get what he wanted; he was currently having the time of his life, encouraging his lover to be as rough as he liked. On any other night, he would have obliged, perhaps even indulging in one of his favorite kinks - he knew the pipsqueak was partial to spanking, choking, and having his wrists tied together - but his heart wasn't in anything harsher than roughly grabbing and kneading the flesh at his fingertips.

"Blue eyes," Atem calls softly, his voice carrying in the large space. "How do you want us?"

The curly mane appears over Yugi's shoulder, and with just a hint of regret, his lips release their captive, who slips down to bury his face in the fine muscular chest and catch his breath. (Seto Kaiba was relentless in everything he did, and kissing was no exception.) He shrugs, running a hand through his hair while still supporting the noodle in his lap with the other.

"Can I top this time?"

The question comes from just below his chin. Looking down, he comes face to face with a pair of lust darkened eyes framed by thick, glossy lashes.

(The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out)

"Fine," he murmurs, gathering the noodle in his arms and preparing to lay next to Atem. Tiny hands push firmly against his abdomen, and he nearly gets a mouthfull of messy curls as Yugi frantically shakes his head.

"No, not like that." He smooths down the mess of hair before continuing, tucking the fringe behind his ears. "Can I take you?" Yugi asks, glancing shyly up from beneath his lashes, complete with a coy upward tilt of his lips.

Coughing to conceal the subtle pink tainting his cheeks, he looks anywhere but at the man situated snugly in his lap. 

"Would you rather I take that responsibility?" Atem asks, gathering his hair all over one shoulder and beginning to braid it. Seto watches the quick, deft movements of his fingers from over Yugi's shoulder while he takes a moment to consider the pros versus cons.

On one hand, he had yet to allow the smaller man the priveledge of making love to him. It would be a new experience, to be the one at Yugi's mercy instead of the other way around. 

On the other hand, his pride was always a factor that would prevent him from truly enjoying it - on a normal night. The nightmare was still too fresh in his mind, and even now, he could _feel_ the phantom tingling in his fingers and toes where the dissolving process had begun.

He needed a distraction, and as much as he cared for Atem - obsessively, relentlessly, and with every single fiber of his being - he would much rather Yugi take the reigns for a change. His bright laughter and sharp wit could be just the medicine he needed.

"No, I." Seto grit his teeth, lips pursed in a thin line as he buried his nose in the sea of dark curls, inhaling the scent of sweet pea and violet body wash his boyfriend was currently fond of. "It's fine," he eventually murmurs, caging Yugi in his arms and giving the man a firm squeeze, hoping to convey with actions where words were simply not enough.

"Are you sure, Seto?" An affirming hum meets Yugi's ears and vibrates down to his core. "I promise to be real gentle." With a delighted wiggle, the noodle worms his way out of the tight embrace, pausing to catch the dragon's bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a swift tug.

"You'll be needing some of this, then." 

Atem gestures to the bottle of lube sitting beside him on the bedspread. With some minor difficulties - Seto refusing to let his partner go being the main one - Yugi slides over to where his other half waits patiently, watching his lovers with a quiet intensity.

"Thanks, babe!" Yugi chirps, squishing himself against the Egyptian, who chuckles, taking the man in his arms and pressing a tender kiss to his temple. 

(Somebody slow it down)

A single chaste kiss turns into watching Yugi nipping and sucking his way to marking Atem's neck, a myriad of colors blooming subtly across the skin as he works his way down, pausing over the pulse point to glance back.

"Don't forget his spots, okay?"

He turns back to resume working on turning the lion into a groaning puddle of mush, pointing out his sensitive spots along the way.

"There's here." Yugi gently sucks at the pulse point, causing a low hum to surface. "Here." He places his hands on Atem's sides, just below the floating ribs, running the pads of his fingers up and down the toned flesh. The hum turns into a low, reedy whine at the back of his throat. "And don't forget _here_." He ends with scraping his nails over the kneecaps, and if his partner had not had a firm grip on one of his thighs, _someone_ would have been kicked in the face.

(This is way too hard, cause I know..)

The longer Seto watched, the harder it became to keep his hands to himself. He needed to feel _someone's_ hands on him - it didn't matter who at this point - or else he was likely to combust. As if sensing his needs, Yugi disengaged from his other half, one of his hands slick with lube. Apparently, he'd been busy while their attention had been focused elsewhere. His other hand held a condom, so he'd come prepared for the task ahead.

"I'll be right behind you the whole time, okay?" Yugi murmurs, pressing one last kiss to his lips, but he pulls away before it becomes too heated.

He feels the faint trail of fingertips on his skin - from his shoulder, all the way down his spine to his lower back - and each leaves behind a burning imprint that cannot be ignored. Atem lays a hand on his bicep, pulling gently until he's hovering above, weight concentrated on elbows and knees.

"Would you like the honor?" Atem asks, proffering the bottle of lube.

Seto's brows come together in a silent question. If he uses both hands, the weight distribution will be uneven, his lower legs baring the brunt of his frame on their own. He doesn't want to make Yugi work for his satisfaction - not _this_ time - so he shakes his head, blue eyes imploring his lover to understand.

"All right, you can have the honor of watching me." 

A groan directly from behind catches both their attention. 

"I am _so_ jealous of you right now, babe." Yugi's hand firmly grasps the toned ass in front of him, and Seto's spine arches in response.

"Personally, I think you have the better view," Atem quips, popping the cap on the bottle of lube and liberally coating his fingers.

A derisive snort from the CEO causes both noodles to laugh; Yugi's soft peals of silver mix with Atem's rumbling gold, and though he cannot bring himself to laugh with them, his heart sings in time to the sweet melody of their voices.

Yugi nips a trail down the length of his spine, picking out the individual vertebrae and treating each to the drag of his teeth and the moist swipe of his tongue. Atem gets comfortable against the nest of pillows, spreading his legs wide, baring the most intimate parts of himself for his lover to see. His hand finds its way south, and he makes sure he has the undivided attention of the man above him before sinking a single digit inside.

This Kaiba Seto had neither known the difference between simple fucking and making love, nor did he care to ever find out. Emotions were the predominant star of any intimate act, and though he was certainly willing ( _gods_ , did he crave their touch), the intricacies of sex had never been his forte. The men who shared his bed were fine teachers, and he was an excellent student.

When Yugi reached the end of his journey down the miles of scarred skin, lube-slick fingers parted the musclar flesh, a single finger tenderly tracing the rim. By this time, it was impossible to keep his hands idle, and while he could do nothing for Atem, he could help himself along instead, timing the deft upward strokes of his fingers along the shaft with clinical precision to mimic the image below him.

Atem was a sight to behold as he began to stretch himself out, first with one finger, then two, his breath coming in low, ragged gasps. Behind him, Yugi had just insterted a second finger, scissoring the digits and thrusting at an angle that caused a frisson of heat to slither down his spine and his thighs to clench.

(When the sun comes up, I will leave)

Seto was fully aware of how much time he had left to spend on such indulgences as foreplay, and though he was endeavoring to be patient - a miracle if nothing else - he'd much rather skip straight to the act itself.

"Are you quite finished?" He ignores the breathy dip his voice takes, turning to find Yugi stretched out along his back, bottom lip caught between his teeth, a low whine trapped in the back of his throat.

"Just a sec." There's a rip of foil and something pokes at his backside. "Okay, all good back here! _Damn_ , I gotta do this more often." The last part seems to have been directed at himself, which was his cue to remind the pipsqueak to focus. Reaching back, he grabs the closest bit of Yugi he can reach; in this case, it's the curve of his shoulder, which he gives a hearty squeeze, digging his nails into the skin. He gets a throaty moan and a dirty look for his trouble. "Tsk, so impatient," he mutters, nuzzling against the hand before its withdrawn.

" _Seto_."

His given name falling on a breathy exhale from godly lips snaps his attention back to the man spread wide beneath him. 

"Atem," he murmurs, swallowing thickly as all three fingers are extracted and a condom is slipped into his hand.

"I'd like you to do it." The Egyptian pauses to catch his breath, then adds, " _Please._ "

He never expected the King of Games to beg for his release, and if he hadn't already been close to his own, he would have suggested they do it this way _long_ before now.

"Oh yeah, still _super_ jealous." He ignores Yugi long enough to slip the condom over his own length, pinching the tip and rolling it on to dislodge any trapped air. The other condom offered to him slipped down Atem's hardened length with ease. "You ready?"

Taking a deep breath, he tried to find some semblance of calm, something to orient himself around and bring order to the chaos of his thoughts. There was no time for meditation, but there would be other things to focus on: the smooth as silk and drag like velvet feeling of skin against skin, the throaty cries of pleasure melding into husky moans, and the whisper touch of soft cotton under his fingertips.

"Yeah. Go ahead."

He knew the intrusion was coming, but that didn't stop the shudder from wracking his frame as Yugi teased his way in, pausing to let him acclimate to the feeling after every inch. Feather-light touches to his cheeks and lips bring his attention back to Atem, lying so patiently beneath him it would be a criminal act not to give in to his desires.

(This is my last glance that will soon be memory)

Trailing a finger along an inner thigh and watching the man come alive under his touch was an exhilarating experience, and every time, he _marveled_ at the body his spirit currently occupied. It may have been modeled on the original, but knowing _he_ was the cause for the fine blush coating the arches of Atem's cheeks, the wide red-violet eyes, and the fluttering pulse that sang through his veins to beat a steady rhythm in the gilded cage of his ribs was nothing less than extraordinary.

At his lover's insistence, he properly aligned himself before sinking in, inch by careful inch, until he bottomed out, a choked sigh falling from an exhale below him, an impatient whine following on its heels from behind. Already trembling from the exertion of keeping himself above the mental cascade of _nothing_ that permeated every thought, it would be up to Yugi and Atem to keep him from falling victim to his own personal hell.

Tiny arms snake around his torso to wrap around the narrow waist, and Seto had the feeling that if Yugi were tall enough, he would whisper filthy things in his ears just to get a reaction. 

"Can I move now?" The dragon nods, and after a few experimental thrusts, the noodle finds his rhythm, planting delicate kisses to every scar within reach. "With love, from me to you -" a tender brush of lips to his spine, the pads of his fingers ghosting up and down his sides "declared before the world, so it all rings true."

The knuckles of Atem's dominant hand brush along his cheek as Seto finds his own clumsy rhythm, rocking into the man beneath him with every measured thrust from behind. His other hand falls to the bedspread beside them, where it is immediately claimed by one of Yugi's.

"I didn't know you were so.. _poetic_ , dear heart." Atem's voice is a mere whisper floating up from beneath the confines of the dragon's muscled cage, each breath punctuated with a slap of skin on skin.

The thrusts from behind slow in pace for a brief moment.

"Eh, I really shouldn't try to be poetic when I'm balls deep, but some things just need to be said."

A choked moan falls from his lips, and too late, he jerks back on a forward thrust, canting his hips roughly into Atem, who has to bite his knuckles to stifle the cry that spills from his lips. All activity stops while the lion catches his breath.

Seto frowns, bending over the man beneath him, reaching up to swipe the sweat-slick golden curls from his forehead, revealing half-lidded eyes, and pupils blown wide. 

"I'm fine, blue eyes," he swallows, the edge of his lips twitching as he attempts a smile.

The reassurance was appreciated, but if they had to stop because Atem got uncomfortable, they would. He wouldn't feel right continuing on with Yugi; this time, it was all or nothing.

His hand lingered, brushing the curls behind an ear, the tip of his thumb dragging across the full bottom lip. 

"Do we need to stop?"

It was the first actual question Seto had asked of him in weeks, and he was not in the habit of asking things of anyone. He _demanded_ , he expected certain things from certain people: respect, results, and obedience from those he employed. The look Atem shot him came as no surprise; brow raised in confusion, lips slightly parted as though he were about to ask a question of his own.

"No." He gives Yugi's hand a reassuring squeeze, probably answering an unspoken comment between their strange mental link. "I just want _you_." His eyes shone with the love and adoration Seto himself was incapable of feeling, not to such an intense degree.

"I second that. All right there, love?"

Unsure of who he was speaking to, Seto did not immediately answer until Atem brushed his lips along the shell of his ear, causing a warmth to pool in his gut that was not there before.

"Fine, just. _Move_."

He didn't have a clear view of Yugi's face, but an answer came in the form of a hearty thrust that made his thighs quake and his hips to pitch forward. 

"Not a problem. I love you, by the way."

He'd grown almost used to hearing those three little words; whether they were spoken in a hushed whisper in the dead of night, or proclaimed loudly within the confines of their group chat, it always tugged at the heartstrings he insisted he didn't have. This Kaiba Seto could afford anything his heart desired, and once upon a time, he thought that excluded the possibility of forming a lasting relationship.

He didn't have to worry about that now.

"I want you to feel all of me." He punctuates the statement with a solid thrust, earning a pleased cry from below for his efforts. "Make me feel all of _you_." Pressing his forehead against Atem's, he stared into his lover's eyes, trying to convey the depths of his feelings without relying on words. 

Thick dark lashes, usually outlined in kohl, tickle the arches of his cheeks as the lion's full lips find his own. Escalating quickly into ardent nips of teeth, the taste of spearmint coats his tongue as he maps out the inside of his lover's mouth. His free hand - the one not supporting most of his weight - clutches at the fine coils of mahogany now free from its loose braid, burying his nose in the crook of Atem's neck.

Yugi's nails find purchase in whatever flesh is within reach, the fingers of his free hand calling the space between Atem's home. Seto is soon panting from his exertions, a thin sheen of sweat coating his limbs as he rocks his hips back and forth, eventually increasing the tempo of his thrusts when Atem's free hand falls from his hair to clutch at the corded muscle of his shoulder, digging his nails into the skin and dragging a path downward.

(I never wanted to stop because I don't wanna start all over, start all over..)

Endearments in several languages (he thought he recognized Greek in there somewhere) tumbled from Atem's lips, which Yugi echoed in his native Japanese, tone dripping with sugary sweetness. His fingers curl into a fist where they clutch at the sheets, his back bowing under the weight of orgasm, a soft hiss echoing between their bodies. 

When the grey haze fades from the edge of his vision, he's aware of Yugi's movements coming to a halt, his given name trickling below molded scapula to settle among his bones and bleed into his veins. Tiny arms snake around his waist as he rides out the high, each gasp punctuated by a tender caress of velvet lips from below.

(I was afraid of the dark but now it's all that I want, all that I want, all that I want..)

Atem takes a little longer to coax into pleasurable release, but as far as he's concerned, the extra moments are worth the time it takes for those wine red eyes to widen, the measured strokes to his cock to wind down into nothing, and the bed to settle beneath them once more.

Yugi is the first to pull out, giving the dragon's thigh a light smack as he hops out of bed to toss the used condom in the trash. Seto grunts, sliding out of Atem and tossing his own condom. He was glad they came prepared, as none of them was fond of changing the sheets on a king-sized bed right after sex. 

After taking turns to wash up in the adjoining master bathroom, the CEO took some time to check the flight schedule on his phone, laying on his stomach beneath the sheets, the hand not holding the phone shoved under his pillow. Beyond the closed curtains shading the balcony from view, the sky lightened from a deep indigo to a faded, shadowy grey.

Dawn was slowly approaching, bringing the sun crawling steadily upward from the horizon.

(And when the daylight comes I'll have to go)

The mattress dipped, signaling the return of both noodles. Running a hand through his hair, he placed his phone back on charge just before he lost the use of both sides of the bed.

"Feeling better?" Yugi's question hangs in the air for a moment as he claims the dragon's left, curling up on his side and molding petal soft lips to his own in a brief show of tender affection.

"For now." It was still too early to tell, but for the moment, the nightmare had faded to the back of his mind, waiting in an isolated corner to be processed, filtered, and discarded with all the other useless things that had no place in his life.

"Glad to hear it," Atem murmurs, carefully climbing beneath the sheets to curl up on his other side.

(But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close)

Seto takes the liberty of gathering the lion in his arms, running the pad of his thumb up and down the sculpted cheek. Yugi doesn't seem to mind, curling his slight frame against broad muscles and pressing chilled hands to the small of his back, silvery giggles resounding like the tinkling of windchimes in a gentle breeze as he squirms away from the contact.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. Imagine not being able to do that for a whole week!"

Atem chuckles, reminding him once again of a babbling brook. Radiating warmth and serenity, he makes no move for further intimacy, simply content to share a sweet moment before time - the enemy of all things good and right in this world - separates them.

(Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own)

"We'll miss our blue eyes," he says after awhile, when the sky outside is more grey-blue than black. 

Their hands are clasped together; Seto's entirely dwarfing Yugi's, with Atem's darker complexion providing a brilliant contrast to their differing natures.

"I'll miss sitting in his lap, anyway." Seto's fingers squeeze Yugi's in warning, but as usual, it's ignored in favor of peppering his back with tiny butterfly kisses. "Holy _shit_ ," he whispers a moment later, tracing a path across the left shoulder blade. "'Tem was really into it this time."

" _What_ are you talking about."

Yugi's body heat disappears from behind him, and the dragon grunts in protest as he is all but shoved onto his stomach.

" _This_ is what I'm talking about!" he exclaims, tracing the same path as before.

Curious, Atem props himself up by an elbow; whatever he sees causes his eye to widen and a subtle darkness to blossom on his cheeks.

"I am _so_ sorry, Seto." Burying his face in the curve of his lover's shoulder, the brunet has to wonder what could be so bad to make _Atem_ of all people ashamed of anything.

\---

He finds out less than half an hour later after stepping out of the shower, swiping away the moisture beading like spring dew on the mirror above the sink. He reaches over to grab a bottle of lotion when he spies the lines of faded red stretching across the left shoulder blade. Exactly where Yugi had made a point of tracing patterns into the skin before.

That would explain the slight sting from the hot water. It's only a mild inconvenience, so he applies a generous measure of ointment to the area and goes on with his morning as usual.

When he's finally ready to leave, perched on the edge of his bed to buckle his boots into place, a pair of warm tanned arms slink around his abdomen from behind. 

"I apologize again for marking you like that," Atem quietly laments, planting a kiss to the back of his neck and giving his lover a firm squeeze.

"It's not a big deal."

Truthfully, Seto was secretly _thrilled_ to have been the canvas for Atem's pleasure. The lion could paint his entire body red in the throes of passion, and he probably wouldn't even care. Of course, there was a time and a place for such things, and now was sadly not one of them.

"If you're sure."

"I am."

A comfortable silence fell over the pair as Atem stood to help him with his trenchcoat. Yugi had fallen back asleep while Seto had been in the shower, and even now, with dawn's first rays kissing his slumbering frame through the open curtains framing the balcony, he was reluctant to disturb his lover's rest for even a moment. Their customary good bye kisses, a tradition that had formed without him even realizing it, would have to be postponed until his return next week.

"Tell him good bye for me."

Pausing at the threshold, Atem clinging lovingly to his shadow, he admired Yugi's sleeping form a moment longer before turning his back to the precious scene. 

"I will, though I fear he'll be cross with you later."

After a final, lingering press of lips, Seto pulls away, straightening his lapels.

(But tonight I need to hold you so close..)

"I'll handle it." He gives his lion - still so drowsy from their earlier activities - a final squeeze before drawing back and grabbing for the door handle. " _Behave_ yourselves while I'm gone."

Atem's lips twitch, the ghost of a smirk flirting with the edges and painting his face into a noble cast. One could almost imagine the flowing regalia of Ancient Egypt adorning his bronzed frame, and for a moment, that's all he sees. He shakes his head, and the image disappears.

"I can only promise we'll be here when you return. Safe travels, _mery-i_."

Seto accepts the endearment with a terse nod, and before he can think of lingering, he leaves the warmth and comfort of his room behind, chasing the sunrise and entirely reluctant to spend the next week immersed in business on the dreary windswept British Isles. 

Though he may have made the right decision, Seto leaves his heart where it belongs - warm and safe in his lovers' tender care.

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna cap it at 10k, so I'm glad I never hit that goal....
> 
> Keep an eye out for a Duel Squad update later tonight!
> 
> I do the [tumblr thing](http://doughnutdarling.tumblr.com/) and the Twitter thing (@donutdarling) so feel free to hmu on either place! I'm a bit more active now, and you'll get a heads up on chapter updates (+ life tidbits) !!


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